Politics – Page 4 – European Studies Review

The EU Commissioner Hearings

By Nina Cullen What are they? The European Parliament holds public hearings for all nominated European commissioners to scrutinise their qualifications before approving their appointments to the EU executive. The latest hearings, which take place from 4-12 November, follow the 2024 European Parliament elections. Unlike more opaque national leader selection processes, these hearings are transparent,Continue reading “The EU Commissioner Hearings”

How does the European Parliament work?

By Nina Cullen What is the European Parliament? The European Parliament (EP) is one of the main decision-making bodies of the European Union (EU) and the only one that is directly elected by its citizens. It represents people across the 27 EU member states and shapes laws that impact over 447 million people. The EPContinue reading “How does the European Parliament work?”

Moldova’s EU referendum and the EU’s laissez-faire

By Jordy Benooit On Sunday the 20th of October, 2024, Moldovans voted to enshrine their desire for European Union membership into their country’s constitution. The aim: to prevent future governments from reversing the country’s accession process. The pro-EU side won with a razor thin majority, totalling just 50.4% of the vote. Praises and victory speechesContinue reading “Moldova’s EU referendum and the EU’s laissez-faire”

EU Gets Ready for a “Protracted Conflict”: Unpacking the First-ever European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS)

By Aemi Desideri Introduction On 5 March 2024, the European Commission and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR/VP) presented the first-ever European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS), a landmark initiative aimed at bolstering defence capabilities at the EU level. This strategy, designed to be “responsive” and “resilient” to the current challengesContinue reading “EU Gets Ready for a “Protracted Conflict”: Unpacking the First-ever European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS)”

British Migration Policy Versus Multilateralism: An Ideological Dogfight?

By James Kemmy Regional disintegration, pursued by Britain via Brexit, was notoriously supposed to “Take Back Control” and to realise an ambition of constructing sovereign borders within a contemporary global order. Although the Eurosceptic referendum campaign was largely driven by the promise to cut numbers of arrivals to British shores, migration to the UK has,Continue reading “British Migration Policy Versus Multilateralism: An Ideological Dogfight?”